1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network synchronization system and an information processing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recent years have witnessed the development of an information processing system including an information processing device connected to a network, which performs communications with plural information devices to exchange documents in various data formats by applying plural communication protocols.
In such an information processing system, various application services are provided through the information processing device. The various application services include sending an image obtained by scanning an original document or data created by an information device to a specified destination by e-mail, sending this information by facsimile transmission, and transferring files containing this information to an information device; and recording/outputting the text of a received e-mail or an image of a file attached to the e-mail, sending this information to a specified fax machine, and transferring files containing this information to an information device; and storing/managing data in the information processing device.
However, such an information processing device needs to be connected with plural information devices via a network. When plural devices that require authentication are separately provided in the network and each of the devices has a function of identifying an individual and allowing only a registered user to use the device, the user needs to input a user name and a password for each of the devices, which is not user-friendly. One approach is to integrate the devices in the system, so that only a single user name and a single password are required. However, when the authentication information is already being separately managed, enormous costs would be incurred in order to establish a system for managing the authentication information in an integrated manner.
The invention disclosed in patent document 1 is a network communications system including a document input/output device providing a function of identifying an individual by an authentication operation performed with an operations unit and allowing only a registered user to use the device, and plural external devices which are connected via a network, providing a function of identifying individuals with a protocol of the network.
The document input/output device according to the invention of patent document 1 is capable of automatically authenticating external devices. Specifically, in order to execute all of the authentication operations of the authentication units that are separately provided in the external devices, only one authentication operation needs to be performed with the operations unit of the document input/output device.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2007-67830
When developing a network communications system including plural information processing devices such as the document input/output device disclosed in patent document 1, the following aspect is preferably addressed. For example, in a network communications system including information processing devices used by staff members belonging to a certain organization in a company, the setting information items such as user information items that are registered in the respective information processing devices are preferably the same (in synchronization).
However, with the conventional technology, enormous costs would be required to establish such a system, i.e., a system for managing the setting information set in the respective devices in an integrated manner.